Gansu releases medical plan to ease burden on poverty

People considered to be living below the poverty line in Tianshui, Gansu province will soon have better access to medical care services and resources, according to a pledge from the city’s authorities.

The government deems those earning less than 2,800 yuan ($425) per person a year to be living below the poverty line. Official statistics released in 2015 show that about 44 percent of people living in poverty in rural areas in China got into poverty because they could not afford to pay for healthcare.

To support people living in poverty, authorities in Tianshui have poured investment into its medical mechanism to make improvements and support medical services in the city’s poor areas.

A special medical support policy was released in Tianshui’s Qingshui county in 2014. In 2016, the policy was revised so that people below the poverty line can apply for reimbursements of up to 90 percent of their medical fees for 65 particular diseases - 20 percent higher than before.

Almost 3,000 patients had benefited from the policy as of the end of June, and medical reimbursements totaled 992,800 yuan ($146,573), five percent higher than the same period of last year. With an investment of 260 million yuan, Qingshui has also completed the relocation and reconstruction project of the Qingshui People’s Hospital. The new hospital is expected to begin operations this month.

Edited by Jacob Hooson